--- title: "Where to Stay on St. Thomas, USVI: Areas Compared" url: https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas description: "Where to stay on St. Thomas: each area with villa count, from-price, beach access, and drive times to town and the ferry, with a map and villas by area." source: https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas --- [St. Thomas](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas) · Areas # Where to stay on St. Thomas St. Thomas has 20 areas with their own guide here. The table compares each by the drive to Charlotte Amalie or the Red Hook ferry, whether you need a car, how steep the roads are, and the lowest nightly rate, with the live villa count. Pick an area, then read its guide and see its rentals. Where to stay in St. Thomas comes down to which end of the island you want to wake up at. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, sits midway along the south coast with Cyril E. King Airport 15 minutes west of it; the St. John ferry leaves from Red Hook at the East End, 29 minutes the other way. Around and above them, the houses spread over the steep Northside, along the Southside bays and across the harbor on Water Island, which is a boat ride rather than a drive. No single area suits every trip. A house near Red Hook makes a day on St. John easy and puts the airport 38 minutes away; a house in town puts the airport close and every beach a drive. Below: how the island fits together, each region with its measured drive to Charlotte Amalie and to the Red Hook ferry, and four questions that settle the choice. ## Where the neighborhoods sit on St. Thomas The territory's capital, Charlotte Amalie, is the largest town on St. Thomas, built around a deep harbor on the south coast. The airport lies on the flat ground west of it, and Crown Bay Marina, where the Water Island Ferry leaves, is 9 minutes by car from the center. Red Hook, at the East End, is the harbor for St. John: the passenger ferry to Cruz Bay takes 20 minutes, the crossing we measured, and the car barge leaves from the same shore. A ridge runs the length of the island, and most roads climb over it rather than around. North of it, the Northside falls away to Magens Bay and Hull Bay, 12 to 13 minutes from town over the hill. East of the harbor, the Southside bays at Frenchman's Bay and Bolongo are 11 to 15 minutes out. The East End runs from Smith Bay and Sapphire Bay to Secret Harbour and Nazareth, most of it within 12 minutes of the Red Hook dock and 18 to 29 minutes from Charlotte Amalie. West of the airport, Bordeaux and Fortuna are the quiet end of the island, 20 to 23 minutes from town. Traffic keeps left, the roads away from the waterfront are narrow and steep, and the drive between the two harbors, Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook, is 29 minutes by our measurement. That one number decides most stays: a guest who wants St. John by day and town for dinner is on that road twice. ## Areas compared | Area | Drive to Charlotte Amalie | Car | Roads | Beach | Villas | From | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Red Hook](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/red-hook) | 23 min | Car recommended | Steep roads | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Sapphire Bay](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/sapphire-bay) | 24 min | Car needed | Rolling hills | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Point Pleasant](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/point-pleasant) | 19 min | Car needed | Flat | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Cabrita Point](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/cabrita-point) | 29 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Smith Bay](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/smith-bay) | 18 min | Car needed | Rolling hills | Beach on foot | none yet | — | | [Magens Bay](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/magens-bay) | 13 min | Car needed | Flat | Beach on foot | none yet | — | | [Peterborg](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/peterborg) | 13 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach on foot | none yet | — | | [Mahogany Run](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/mahogany-run) | 20 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach by car | none yet | — | | [Hull Bay](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/hull-bay) | 12 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach on foot | none yet | — | | [Tutu](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/tutu) | 16 min | Car needed | Rolling hills | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Frenchman's Bay](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/frenchmans-bay) | 11 min | Car needed | Rolling hills | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Bolongo](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/bolongo) | 15 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Secret Harbour](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/secret-harbour) | 26 min | Car needed | Rolling hills | Beach on foot | none yet | — | | [Bluebeard's](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/bluebeards) | 5 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Nazareth](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/nazareth) | 24 min | Car recommended | Rolling hills | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/charlotte-amalie) | — | Car recommended | Rolling hills | Beach by car | none yet | — | | [Frenchtown](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/frenchtown) | 5 min | Car recommended | Flat | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Fortuna](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/fortuna) | 23 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Bordeaux](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/bordeaux) | 20 min | Car needed | Steep roads | Beach a short drive | none yet | — | | [Water Island](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/water-island) | — | — | Steep roads | — | none yet | — | Drive times are island estimates from the area guides; the from-price is the lowest nightly rate an owner has listed. Dashes mean the guide has not been verified yet. ## St. Thomas areas on a map Area to stay Ferry dock [Open the full map](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/map) ## The regions of St. Thomas, one at a time ### Charlotte Amalie The capital and its edges: the shortest run to the airport and the restaurants, and half an hour from the St. John ferry. The houses for rent sit on the hills above the town, where the roads roll rather than climb and a car is recommended rather than essential. Frenchtown, on the flat ground at the west end of the harbor, is 5 minutes from the center and 12 from the airport, one of the two shortest airport runs on St. Thomas. Bluebeard's, the hill behind Havensight on the east side of the harbor, is also 5 minutes from the center, on steep roads that want a careful driver. The tradeoff is the other harbor. Red Hook is 29 minutes away, so a day on St. John starts with half an hour on the road. The waterfront has its own boat to Cruz Bay, from the Edward Wilmoth Blyden IV Marine Terminal, twice a day each way on Transportation Services of St. John's schedule as of October 2026; Varlack Ventures' sailings on that route stop for the off-season, so check the schedule, and Red Hook has the hourly boats. From every house in this region the beach is a short drive, not a walk. Suits a short stay, a trip that starts or ends with an early flight, and anyone who wants the restaurants and the harbor close. At a glance - Drive to Charlotte Amalie: 5 min - Car: needed in Bluebeard's; recommended in Charlotte Amalie, Frenchtown - Roads: steep in Bluebeard's; rolling in Charlotte Amalie; flat in Frenchtown - Beach: a short drive in Bluebeard's, Frenchtown; a drive in Charlotte Amalie [Bluebeard's Bluebeard's, St. Thomas, is the hill on the east side of Charlotte Amalie harbor, named for the Danish tower at Bluebeard's Castle Resort, with the Havensight cruise dock at its foot. It suits a stay near the capital, on steep ground. From the middle of the area, Charlotte Amalie is 5 minutes by car.no villas yet · 5 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/bluebeards) [Charlotte Amalie Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the US Virgin Islands, the harbor town on the south coast of St. Thomas, between the cruise docks at Havensight and Crown Bay. It suits a short stay with the town on foot and the beaches by car. From the middle of the area, Cyril E. King airport is 15 minutes by car.no villas yet](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/charlotte-amalie) [Frenchtown Frenchtown, St. Thomas is the small harbor neighborhood at the western edge of Charlotte Amalie, settled by fishing families from St. Barthélemy, and its streets measure flat. It suits a stay built around town, the airport and the west end beaches. From the middle of Frenchtown, Charlotte Amalie is 5 minutes by car and Cyril E. King Airport 12.no villas yet · 5 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/frenchtown) ### East End The ferry end of the island, where St. John is 20 minutes by boat from the bottom of the hill. Red Hook is the harbor town, with the ferry, the car barge, the marina and its restaurants, 23 minutes from Charlotte Amalie. Around it the coast breaks into small bays with condominiums and villas on the slopes above. Secret Harbour has the beach on foot; Nazareth sits just above the Red Hook dock; Smith Bay is 3 minutes from Coki Beach; Sapphire Bay, Point Pleasant and Cabrita Point are 11 to 12 minutes from the ferry, with the sand a short drive down. The hills of the East End behind the bays are the steep part, 33 minutes from Charlotte Amalie and 47 from the airport, the longest airport run on the island, with the nearest beach a real drive. That is the cost of this side in general: arrival day crosses the whole island, and an evening in Charlotte Amalie is 20 to 30 minutes each way from most of it. Suits a trip that wants St. John for a day or two, a group that wants the beach at the door, and anyone content to cross the island once on arrival. At a glance - Drive to Charlotte Amalie: 18 to 29 min - Car: needed in Sapphire Bay, Point Pleasant, Cabrita Point, Smith Bay, Secret Harbour; recommended in Red Hook, Nazareth - Roads: steep in Red Hook, Cabrita Point; rolling in Sapphire Bay, Smith Bay, Secret Harbour, Nazareth; flat in Point Pleasant - Beach: on foot in Smith Bay, Secret Harbour; a short drive in Red Hook, Sapphire Bay, Point Pleasant, Cabrita Point, Nazareth [Red Hook Red Hook, St. Thomas, is the harbor at the East End where the St. John ferry and the car barge leave, with American Yacht Harbor on the same waterfront. From the middle of Red Hook, Charlotte Amalie is 23 minutes by car. It suits a stay built around St. John, or a night either side of the crossing.no villas yet · 23 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/red-hook) [Sapphire Bay Sapphire Bay is the shore on the East End of St. Thomas where the Sapphire Beach condos look across the water to St. John, with more condominiums on the slope behind. It suits a week on the beach with the St. John ferry close by. The Red Hook ferry is 11 minutes by car from the middle of it.no villas yet · 24 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/sapphire-bay) [Point Pleasant Point Pleasant, St. Thomas, is the stretch of the north-east shore above Water Bay, and much of what carries the name is Point Pleasant Resort, on the hillside over the bay. The St. John ferry and five beaches with guides are short drives. From the middle of the area, the Red Hook ferry is 11 minutes by car.no villas yet · 19 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/point-pleasant) [Cabrita Point Cabrita Point, St. Thomas, is the headland at the island's eastern end, where houses on steep slopes face St. John and Great St. James, with the Ritz-Carlton on Great Bay beside it. It suits a group happy to stay at the house most days. From the middle of the area, the Red Hook ferry is 12 minutes by car.no villas yet · 29 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/cabrita-point) [Smith Bay Smith Bay is the north-east shore of St. Thomas along Smith Bay Road, where Coral World Ocean Park, Coki Beach and Smith Bay Park share a short stretch of coast. It suits a family who want the East End without the long airport run. From the middle of Smith Bay, Charlotte Amalie is 18 minutes by car.no villas yet · 18 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/smith-bay) [Secret Harbour Secret Harbour, St. Thomas, is a small bay on the south shore of the East End, where the Secret Harbour Beach Resort's condominiums meet the sand. It suits a week where the swim is a walk and St. John a short crossing. Red Hook and its ferries are a 9-minute drive from the middle of the area.no villas yet · 26 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/secret-harbour) [Nazareth Estate Nazareth, St. Thomas, is the stretch of the East End between Red Hook and the Secret Harbour Beach Resort, with the St. Thomas Yacht Club and a Club Wyndham timeshare on the same address. It suits a week of morning swims and short drives. Secret Harbour Beach is 2 minutes by car from the middle of the area.no villas yet · 24 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/nazareth) ### Northside The steep north face of the island, above Magens Bay and Hull Bay: closer to town than it looks, and the farthest side from the ferry. Magens Bay is the north coast's public beach, run by the Magens Bay Authority, which charges an entry fee. The houses around the bay and on Peterborg, the ridge that encloses it, are 13 minutes from Charlotte Amalie and walk down to the water. Hull Bay, the next bay west, is 12 minutes from town, with a small beach at the foot of a steep road. Mahogany Run, east around the golf course, is 20 minutes from town, and Magens Bay, its nearest beach with a guide, is an 18 minute drive. The Red Hook ferry is 29 to 34 minutes off, and away from the bay the roads are among the steepest on St. Thomas, where a driveway that reads as a short hill on the map is a low-gear climb in a rental sedan. Suits a group that wants Magens Bay on foot or a view over the north coast, and that will drive to everything else. At a glance - Drive to Charlotte Amalie: 12 to 20 min - Car: needed - Roads: steep in Peterborg, Mahogany Run, Hull Bay; flat in Magens Bay - Beach: on foot in Magens Bay, Peterborg, Hull Bay; a drive in Mahogany Run [Magens Bay Magens Bay, St. Thomas, is the low shore and the estates behind the public beach park on the north side, the one area on our map where that beach is a walk. It suits a family who want one beach, on foot. Charlotte Amalie is a 13-minute drive from the middle of the area.no villas yet · 13 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/magens-bay) [Peterborg Peterborg, St. Thomas, is the steep peninsula beside Magens Bay on the island's north side, a ridge of houses with the sea below. It suits a family or couple with a car who want Magens Bay most mornings and town some evenings. From the middle of the area, Charlotte Amalie is 13 minutes by car.no villas yet · 13 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/peterborg) [Mahogany Run Mahogany Run is steep hillside on the north side of St. Thomas, east of Magens Bay, named for its golf course and covering Lovenlund, Wintberg and Mandahl. It is a fit for a household that wants town and the north-side beaches in one week. From the middle of the area, Charlotte Amalie is 20 minutes by car.no villas yet · 20 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/mahogany-run) [Hull Bay Hull Bay, St. Thomas, is a fishing bay on the island's north coast, west of Magens Bay, with a beach at the water and steep estates above it. It suits a couple or small group who want a quiet beach at the door and town close. From the middle of the area, Charlotte Amalie is 12 minutes by car.no villas yet · 12 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/hull-bay) ### Southside The bays just east of Charlotte Amalie on the south coast, close to town and halfway to the ferry. Frenchman's Bay is 11 minutes from Charlotte Amalie and 18 from the Red Hook ferry, with Limetree Beach a 3 minute drive. Bolongo, around the next point, is 15 minutes from town and 17 from the ferry. From either one, both harbors are under twenty minutes and the airport under half an hour; the Southside hills behind them add a few minutes to each. The tradeoff is the roads, steep everywhere but Frenchman's Bay, and a beach that is a short drive rather than a walk from every house in the region. Suits a stay that wants town and St. John in equal measure, and a first visit that has not yet decided which it prefers. At a glance - Drive to Charlotte Amalie: 11 to 15 min - Car: needed - Roads: steep in Bolongo; rolling in Frenchman's Bay - Beach: a short drive [Frenchman's Bay Frenchman's Bay is the stretch of St. Thomas's south shore east of Charlotte Amalie harbor, home to Frenchman's Reef, Marriott's Frenchman's Cove and the Limetree Beach Resort, with houses on the hill behind. From the middle of the area, Charlotte Amalie is 11 minutes by car.no villas yet · 11 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/frenchmans-bay) [Bolongo Bolongo, St. Thomas, is the hillside neighborhood around Bolongo Bay on the island's south shore, east of Frenchman's Bay: ground that measures steep around a hotel beach, halfway between Charlotte Amalie and the East End. From the middle of the area, Bolongo Bay is 1 minute by car and Charlotte Amalie 15.no villas yet · 15 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/bolongo) ### Tutu The inland middle of the island, on the road between Charlotte Amalie and the East End. Tutu is the one area equally placed between the two harbors, 16 minutes from each, on rolling roads, with Coki Beach a 6 minute drive. It trades a view of the water for an even drive to both ends. Suits a stay that splits its days between town and St. John and puts the beach second. At a glance - Drive to Charlotte Amalie: 16 min - Car: needed - Roads: rolling - Beach: a short drive [Tutu Tutu is the inland errand center of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, the valley around Tutu Park Mall in Anna's Retreat, where the island does its shopping. It suits a group with a car that wants the grocery close and every beach in reach. From the middle of the area, the Red Hook ferry terminal is 16 minutes by car.no villas yet · 16 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/tutu) ### West End The far west, past the airport, where the road runs out at Bordeaux and Fortuna. Bordeaux is 20 minutes from Charlotte Amalie and 19 from the airport, Fortuna 23 and 21, both on steep roads with a small beach a few minutes' drive below. The Red Hook ferry is 49 and 52 minutes away, the longest run to it from anywhere on St. Thomas. Suits a group that wants distance from town and has no plans for St. John. At a glance - Drive to Charlotte Amalie: 20 to 23 min - Car: needed - Roads: steep - Beach: a short drive [Fortuna Fortuna, St. Thomas, is the far west end of the island: steep ground beyond Cyril E. King Airport, with Estate Botany Bay on the point past it. A couple or family here drives for dinner, beaches and St. John. From the middle of the area, the airport is 21 minutes by car.no villas yet · 23 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/fortuna) [Bordeaux Bordeaux, St. Thomas, is the hill country of the island's west end, on our area map from the University of the Virgin Islands to Estate Bordeaux. It sits on the airport side, far from Red Hook, and suits guests who want Brewers Bay and town close. Charlotte Amalie is a 20-minute drive from the middle of the area.no villas yet · 20 min to Charlotte Amalie](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/bordeaux) ### Water Island A small island in the harbor off Charlotte Amalie, reached by boat, with a beach a short walk from the landing. The Water Island Ferry runs hourly from Crown Bay Marina to Philips Landing, per its timetable as of October 2026, and Honeymoon Beach is 5 minutes on foot from the landing by our measurement. The last departure from Crown Bay is 6 pm. That timetable is the whole decision. Dinner in town means watching the clock, and every grocery run is a crossing. In return, the beach is a walk from the boat, and Charlotte Amalie is across the water rather than around it. Suits a couple or a family that wants a beach day every day and cooks at home most evenings. At a glance - Roads: steep [Water Island Water Island lies off the south coast of St. Thomas, a small island with no road or bridge to the main one, reached by the Water Island Ferry from Crown Bay Marina. A week here is planned around the ferry timetable. From Cyril E. King airport, Crown Bay Marina is 8 minutes by taxi by our measurement.no villas yet](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/areas/water-island) ## Choosing where to stay in St. Thomas, USVI Four questions sort the island quickly. Answer them in order and most of the map falls away. ### How many days will you spend on St. John? - The East End puts the Red Hook ferry within 12 minutes of most houses, and the crossing to Cruz Bay is 20 minutes. - From Charlotte Amalie the dock is 29 minutes by car; from Bordeaux and Fortuna in the far west, about 50. ### Do you want the beach on foot? - Four places have the beach on foot: Secret Harbour, Magens Bay, Peterborg and Hull Bay. - Everywhere else on St. Thomas the beach is a short drive, and from the East End hills and Mahogany Run, a longer one. ### How close do you want the airport? - Frenchtown is 12 minutes from Cyril E. King Airport and Charlotte Amalie 15. - The East End is 33 to 47 minutes away, so a late arrival means a long first drive in the dark. ### Will you eat out most nights? - Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook have the restaurants; a house within 15 minutes of either keeps dinner out an easy call. - On Water Island the last scheduled boat home leaves Crown Bay at 6 pm as of October 2026, so most dinners there are at the house. ### By the clock from the dock - Under 15 minutes: Magens Bay, Peterborg, Hull Bay, Frenchman's Bay, Bluebeard's, Frenchtown - 15 to 30 minutes: Red Hook, Sapphire Bay, Point Pleasant, Cabrita Point, Smith Bay, Mahogany Run, Tutu, Bolongo, Secret Harbour, Nazareth, Fortuna, Bordeaux ## Questions about where to stay **What is the best area to stay in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, on a first trip?** There is no single best area; on a first trip the choice is between the two harbors. The Southside bays sit between them: Frenchman's Bay and Bolongo are 11 to 15 minutes from Charlotte Amalie and 17 to 18 from the Red Hook ferry. If the trip is mostly St. John, stay on the East End; if it is mostly town, restaurants and an easy flight home, stay in or above Charlotte Amalie. **Is it better to stay in Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook?** Charlotte Amalie for the airport, 15 minutes away, and the capital's waterfront and restaurants; Red Hook for the St. John ferry and the East End beaches. The two harbors are 29 minutes apart by our measurement, so the real question is which one you would rather drive to less often. **Where to stay in St. Thomas, USVI, with the beach in walking distance?** Four places have the beach on foot: Secret Harbour on the East End, and Magens Bay, Peterborg and Hull Bay on the Northside. Magens Bay is run by the Magens Bay Authority, which charges an entry fee; on Water Island, Honeymoon Beach is a walk from where the ferry lands. **Can you stay on Water Island instead of St. Thomas itself?** Yes. Water Island has houses to rent and is reached on the Water Island Ferry from Crown Bay Marina, which is 9 minutes by car from Charlotte Amalie. Boats leave about hourly, and the last scheduled one from Crown Bay is at 6 pm as of October 2026, so it suits a stay built around the beach more than one built around dinners in town. **How far is Red Hook from the St. Thomas airport?** 36 minutes by car from Cyril E. King Airport to the Red Hook ferry terminal by our measurement, longer through Charlotte Amalie at busy hours.